With the Innovation Initiative (i2), also referred to as “venture philanthropy,” Alliance Healthcare Foundation (AHF) seeks promising innovation to transform the current health paradigm of high cost and poor outcomes to improve quality, increase capacity, and reduce costs for the most systemically marginalized and under-resourced populations in San Diego County.
Donor Name: Alliance Healthcare Foundation
State: California
County: San Diego County (CA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/24/2025
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 4 Years
Details:
Solving the most intractable health challenges requires innovative, transformative, and sustainable solutions. AHF seeks market-based and/or transformational systems-change solutions with the potential to improve access, quality, and health outcomes for low-income residents in San Diego.
One of the most efficient ways they can support population health improvement is by helping innovations succeed, scale, and achieve sustainability.
Examples of Closing Disparities Gaps (not exhaustive):
- Chronic condition prevention and/or management (diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular)
- Access to health and wellness for those without broadband connectivity, transportation, health literacy, language fluency
- Opportunity for wealth building at lowest income levels
- Access to mental and behavioral health care for the under- and uninsured
The 2025 i2 program is a capacity-building and mentorship program that includes up to 9-months of entrepreneurial education and customized mentoring through a partnership between AHF and global business accelerator, Nex Cubed, culminating in a final pitch session, undergoing a rigorous review followed by one organization being awarded the $1 million i2 Milestone-Based Challenge Grant. After the award is made, AHF will also partner with the organization in other ways to support their success. This $1 million grant will be contingent on meeting mutually agreed-upon milestones that will be developed over the course of the i2 journey. Grant funds must be deployed in support of developing and scaling the proposed solution.
Funding Information
The selected i2 Challenge Grantee will be eligible to receive grant funding of up to $1 million, which will be distributed to the Challenge Grantee in tranches contingent on the Challenge Grantee achieving defined milestones set forth in the grant agreement entered by the Alliance Healthcare Foundation and the Challenge Grantee.
Grant Period
Most prior i2 awardees’ grant periods have ranged from one to four years.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible i2 challenge grant applicants include:
- Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
- State colleges and universities described in Section 511(a(2)(B) of the IRS tax code even if not described in Section 501(c)(3).
- Section 501(c)(3) organizations and state colleges and universities may collaborate with social enterprises, provided that the applicant itself is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or a state college or university. A social enterprise for this purpose means a nonprofit organization other than a Section (c)(3) organization, a certified B Corp or for-profit organization that advances health equity and wellness for those in need.
- Community-based programs or initiatives that are “housed” in Section 501(c)(3) organizations or in state colleges and universities may apply as a program or initiative of the Section 501(c)(3) organization or state college or university, provided that all agreements with AHF in connection with the 2025 Innovation Initiative (i2) are entered into in the name of the Section 501(c)(3) organization or state college or university and signed by an authorized individual of the Section 501(c)(3) organization or state college or university.
- Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and state colleges and universities described in Section 511(a)(2)(B) of the Code even if not described in Section 501(c)(3) may also collaborate together. In that case, one organization must act as the applicant for the collaborative group.
- Any grant funds from Alliance Healthcare Foundation will be issued to the applicant only. Alliance Healthcare Foundation shall have no responsibility to allocate or apportion any grant funds among collaborating organizations, and all grant funds will be subject to the restrictions of the grant agreement entered into between Alliance Healthcare Foundation and the applicant.
Eligible proposals must:
- Prioritize solutions that target root causes rather than alleviating symptoms.
- Have a clear sustainability plan that is not reliant on ongoing grants or philanthropic fundraising when scaled.
- Involve those closest to the social problem in determining the solution.
- Demonstrate clear and measurable improved health outcomes and reduced disparities for constituents.
- Directly address health disparities through an explicit equity lens.
- Demonstrate how winning the i2 $1 million milestone-based grant would generate more impact than what is already being achieved by the organization.
Eligible proposals must also address one of the following:
- Systemic Problems in the healthcare system, such as:
- Expanding access to quality healthcare resources to all (i.e., navigation, care coordination, cultural competency or removing barriers such as transportation, health literacy, language fluency, remote monitoring, telehealth)
- Elimination of bias within health systems (i.e., integrated care, fair financing, incorporating social determinants of health, cultural competency, language accessibility)
- Holistic Chronic Condition Prevention & Management, such as:
- Leveraging technology to improve outcomes, reduce re-admission, improve adherence, etc.
- Improving environmental hazards or other social determinants of health that exasperate health disparities
- Improving access to quality and effective behavioral health services.
For more information, visit Alliance Healthcare Foundation.
